Exordium
by Bert
Summary: bad stuff happens, b/s, b/x, f/x


Fic: Exordium  
  
Author: Bert  
  
Disclaimer: Usual kak  
  
Rating: R  
  
Pairings: B/S, F/X, B/X, S/X (only kidding)  
  
  
  
"Here catch," Spike knocked the vampire he was fighting towards the slayer.  
  
Buffy looked up in time to see the vampire stumbling towards her, "no thanks," she replied kicking the vampire back towards Spike.  
  
Spike punched the vampire in the face, forcing him back towards the slayer, "But I haven't got a stake" he complained.  
  
Buffy raised her eyebrows and grinned, "You better have or you're going to have one very frustrated slayer later." She let out a flying kick to the vampires chest sending him back again.  
  
"Oh very funny, for that you've earned a thorough 'staking' later on." Moving gracefully he pulled out a stake and stabbed the vampire in the chest, watching just long enough for it to burst into dust. "All done?" he asked impatiently wanting to get back to his crypt.  
  
Buffy gabbed his arm and headed out, "yeah, all done." she stopped suddenly.  
  
"What?" Spike stopped and listened, "I don't hear anything."  
  
"I thought I heard," she listened intently for a moment before giving up, "maybe not."  
  
They started to head off again when a dark figure stepped out in front of them. Slipping easily into fighting stances they waited with trepidation as it slowly walked forwards towards them and the light. Buffy let out a small sigh of relief when their features were finally revealed.  
  
"Xander?" Buffy asked uncertainly taking in his dishevelled clothes, "are you ok?"  
  
"I trusted you," tears ran freely down his cheeks, "I looked up to you."  
  
"What's wrong?" Buffy asked moving forward.  
  
"You see, it has to end," he laughed weakly, not really hearing her, "I can't let you go on like this." He seemed to shift slightly as a gun appeared in his hand.  
  
Buffy stopped. "What's that?" she asked unnecessarily looking at the gun. She stepped uncertainly backwards as he pointed the weapon directly at her, "that's not funny."  
  
"Bloody hell." Buffy let out a small yelp as Spike roughly pushed her away and charged towards the disturbed young man and the gun.  
  
Xander flicked his gaze to the leaping vampire and calmly fired the gun twice, once into the body and once into the head. The vampire stopped mid- flight and slumped down onto the unconscious. "Spike!", screamed Buffy as she saw her lover fall.  
  
"You see?" exclaimed Xander angrily brandishing the gun about, "you see what you made me do? I didn't want to hurt him but you made me," he shook his head, "I meant I wanted him dead."  
  
"Why did you do that?" Buffy demanded angrily.  
  
"I. I had to." Xander stuttered as he forced the words out.  
  
Buffy took in the wild way he looked and knew she had to do something before he hurt anyone else. She stood up and faced him down, "Xander, give me the gun," she ordered calmly staring him directly in the eyes, "give me the gun," she repeated more forcefully.  
  
"No," Xander shook his head violently refusing to give in, "you have to pay," he sobbed wiping the tears from his eyes with his free hand, "you have to pay."  
  
Buffy held out her hand, "Xander." she spoke softly to him, trying to calm him down before he did anything rash, "it's Buffy, your friend Buffy, remember me?" She took a step forward and beckoned with the hand, "remember us? Give me the gun Xander and we'll."  
  
"NO" Xander shouted taking a step back, "you're trying to trick me, you're not my friend. You betrayed me." He clutched his hand to his head, "you're confusing me." He pointed the gun at her angrily, "you." With each utterance he thrust the gun towards her, "betrayed.", emphasising the point he was making, "me." until it went off with the final word.  
  
Buffy staggered back a couple of steps under the impact, not believing that Xander had just shot her. "You shot me!" she said clutching at the wound on her shoulder. She looked down at the blood seeping through her fingers, "you actually shot me." Buffy knew she was in shock and that she was supposed to do something, but her mind couldn't get past the fact that Xander had just shot her.  
  
"What like this?"  
  
Buffy silently collapsed onto the ground with the report echoing through her ears as Xander calmly shot her again, this time in the leg. Buffy felt the blood pooling beneath her, "Xander?" her voice trembled, "help me."  
  
Xander paused; he couldn't actually remember a time when Buffy sounded scared. Then he saw her trying to drag herself away and followed. "You see?" he screamed looming over her. "You see what you made me do?" he screamed again at her, getting no immediate response he shot her twice more, once into the other shoulder and once into the stomach.  
  
Buffy screamed as she felt the hot metal tearing through her body, she knew the wounds were fatal but not immediate. Forced by the pain to remain conscious as her life's blood seeped away into the dry earth beneath her she tried again to reach through to her friend. "Xander, please." she begged tears forming in her eyes, ". help me." Her vision dimming Buffy desperately tried to raise her arm towards him, "help." she tried to get the words out as her strength rapidly fled.  
  
A calm feeling flowed over Xander as he watched the slayer slowly and painfully die beneath him. "I hate you," he said emotionlessly. "See you in hell Buff." He raised the gun once more fired as the world turned black.  
  
Buffy sat upright gasping for breath. Not seeing anything in the darkened room she fumbled desperately for a light switch, anything to throw back the all encompassing gloom.  
  
"What's wrong luv?"  
  
Buffy jumped and screamed when she felt the cold hand on her shoulder, then the voice penetrated her sleep fuzzed mind, "Spike?" she asked uncertainly. "Spike?" She grabbed onto the owner of the hand.  
  
"Who else?" Spike flicked on the lamp, "what's wrong?"  
  
Buffy winced at the sudden bright light and peered around the crypt for any sign of a threat, the nightmare already half forgotten. "Nothing," she ran a hand through sweat soaked hair, "just a bad dream that's all." She rolled onto her side and tried to go back to sleep.  
  
Spike looked thoughtfully down at her for a moment before flicking the light back off. He lay there in the dark, listening to Buffy sleep fitfully beside him. 


End file.
